On A Scale of 1-10, How American Do You Feel?

Did you know that when you renounce your U.S. citizenship, you have to pay a fee? The subsidized fee used to be $450, but this week the State Department has announced that they plan to raise the fee to $2,350. The process has also been become increasingly more complicated. Now, not only do you have to pay a much higher price, but you also have to appear before a U.S. consular or diplomatic officer, if overseas, to complete the process, which also involves a questionnaire. An example of some of the more standard questions asked are: ‘In which country will your new citizenship be?’ and ‘If/when have you previously lived in the USA?’

A more explanatory question that has been noticeably left out is, ‘Why why you are renouncing your U.S. citizenship?’ The State Department gives no reason as to why it has decided not to pose this question to applicants, but one thing is for sure, with the number of Americans wishing to renounce their citizenship up by about 42% in the last four years, the higher cost will not serve as a deterrent. The primary goal for the price hike, it seems, is to facilitate a sort of waiting period in which those wishing to renounce their citizenship might slow down and make sure that their choice is indeed the right option for them.